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Ocular malformation in a newborn secondary to maternal hypovitaminosis A

Hannah Gilchrist1, Deepa A Taranath, Glen A Gole

  • 1Department of Ophthalmology, Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Journal of AAPOS : the Official Publication of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus
|July 7, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Severe maternal vitamin A deficiency in pregnancy, following biliopancreatic diversion surgery, led to infant microphthalmia and vision impairment. This case highlights the critical need for monitoring vitamin A levels in at-risk pregnancies.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Biliopancreatic diversion surgery for obesity can lead to long-term malabsorption issues, including vitamin deficiencies.
  • Severe maternal hypovitaminosis A during pregnancy poses significant risks to fetal ocular development.

Observation:

  • A case report details an infant born with microphthalmia, inferior adherent leukoma, and optic nerve hypoplasia.
  • The infant's mother had undergone biliopancreatic diversion surgery 7 years prior and experienced severe maternal hypovitaminosis A during pregnancy.
  • The infant presented with undetectable serum vitamin A levels postnatally.

Findings:

  • The infant required sector iridectomies at 8 weeks of age.
  • Electroretinography at 9 months indicated rod dysfunction.
  • The infant exhibits poor visual performance.

Implications:

  • This case underscores the importance of vigilant nutritional monitoring in pregnant individuals with a history of bariatric surgery.
  • Aggressive management of vitamin A deficiency is crucial to prevent severe congenital ocular anomalies.
  • Further research into optimal vitamin A supplementation protocols for this patient population is warranted.

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